South Dakota Case Study

Earlier this year the Havasupai Tribe and a coalition of conservation groups sued the United States Forest Service for allowing Energy Fuel Resources Inc. to operate a mine under a 1986 federal environmental review without tribal consultation. The Canyon mine was previously in non-operational status due to low uranium stock prices in 1992. Opponents of the uranium mining operation want the federal environmental review updated and

For years, the State of Nevada has found the Yucca Mountain project unacceptable because of the obvious logical and scientific issues that make the site itself unsafe. Additional support for their argument is that other than being far from the nuclear waste, the repository cannot really separate itself and its dangers from the environment and humans. Even though Nevada started with just being upset about the state having the political finger pointed at them to hold the whole nation’s nuclear waste but now their argument is stronger (Adams, 2010). Not only is Yucca Mountains’ size not big enough for the entire countries nuclear waste, but geologic factors could make the waste

Once these mines were abandoned water slowly began to fill these mines. The water came in contact with all of the leftover minerals, including sulfide, and chemicals began to dissolve into the water. This process of dissolving chemicals into the water essentially turned the water into acid (1). Once the mines finally filled, water began to pour out of the mines into the surrounding area, mostly into a body of water now known as “Tar Creek” (1). This creek then spread the contaminated water throughout the community and into numerous water sources.

Many would not believe that North Dakota has some serious environmental concerns, at least I did not. I always thought of North Dakota as a stable and somewhat of a quiet state. After doing some extensive research, I found that North Dakota has environmental concerns with terrestrial, atmospheric, and aquatic ecosystems. As for aquatic ecosystems, the main damage has been done through haphazard artificial drainage, excessive water diversions, and improper disposal of industrial waste. Impact to terrestrial ecosystems is caused by the constant industrial and residential work sectors as well as the mechanical destruction of plant communities. Lastly, atmospheric issues can be pointed to blowing soil and improper pesticide application. As we

The Navajo have endured environmental injustice since 1944 when uranium, was mined on their land. Even though it brought them mining jobs there were negative effects on the Navajo Nation. Uranium is a naturally occurring radioactive metal that may cause negative health effects. The radioactive materials caused lung cancer or various forms of fibrosis. These uranium mines affected not only the minors but

In Jan. 2011, the EPA decided to veto the dumping of waste from the Spruce No. 1 Mine. But the agency’s efforts have so far been rebuffed by the courts as an overreach: Under the weird legal regime that governs mining, it’s the Army Corps of Engineers, not the EPA, which has the ultimate say-so over those permits. In 2012, the D.C. district court ruled that EPA lacked authority to veto the permit after the Corps had issued it. However, in fact EPA's decision is based on evidence from scientific research on serious environmental harm from mining. In May 2013, a coalition of Appalachian and environmental groups petitioned the EPA to set a numeric water quality standard under the Clean Water Act to protect streams from pollution caused by mountaintop removal mining . They claimed that “State politics and industry pressure have so far failed to end this pollution without such a standard and more and more streams and communities who rely on those waters are left vulnerable. We need EPA to act now.” The EPA’s authority over the Clean Water Act in respect to Spruce Mine No. 1 was finally affirmed by the Supreme Court in March 2014.

The owners of the mines preyed on immigrants from outside of the United States with promises of bringing them to the United States, bringing them to Colorado, setting them up with a job and housing and

Many cities in the u.s have been affected by the Oil boom, countless have made millions on this product. Oil isn 't always easy to find, as a matter of fact, it can be very difficult. Often times oil seeps to the top of the surface, making it easy to find, but most of the time people have to drill to find it. In the earlier days rigs could only work on land, however now we can use oil platforms to get oil from under sea beds. Many towns like Bainville and Watford city are being affected very heavily because of the oil, changes include: growth of population, riots, and heavy construction. Not all the people in these towns support and agree with the pipeline, which oftentimes leads to protests and riots. Many protests have ended in arrests because of the violence they promote. Many people across North Dakota have been taking drastic measures such as blocking highways and roads, killing livestock, and violent fights.These people are upset because this pipeline runs across some sacred burial sites of the ancient Native American tribe leaders. The Bakken Shale formation is one of the largest oil and gas industries, it covers over 200,000 square miles in just North Dakota, Montana, and Canada.(Carter,2013) The pipeline is 12inches wide and travels over 500 miles across the US. So far, between North Dakota and eastern Montana they have produced 1 billion barrels of oil. In just North Dakota, jobs are very easy to find in the oil industry.

The judicial system is instrumental in the American government. It is responsible for settling disputes and applying the laws to cases. The judiciary acts as a protector of the constitution and the constitutional rights of the people. The significant contributors in a case comprise of the prosecuting attorney, the defense attorney, and the judge. Everyone is entitled to a just trial and has the right to go through the appeals process if the defendant and his counsel deem necessary. Some appeals are heard in the initially tried court, and some appeals are petitioned the highest court in the land, the Supreme Court. In the consolidated case of Birchfield v. Norths Dakota, three distinct drivers were arrested for drunk driving.

Water contamination is the next major concern of environmental groups. The Environmental Protection Agency, the governmental regulatory agency created in 1970 to manage the enforcement of environmental policy, states its concerns in a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2009 (United). Specifically addressing mines in West Virginia and Kentucky, the EPA expressed serious concerns over water pollution from strip mining (“EPA”). The rupture of an ash dike at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Kingston Fossil Plant in Roane County, TN on December 22, 2008 granted credibility to the EPA’s concerns. In an article published by in Environmental Health Perspectives, Rhitu Chatterjee comments on the poisonous substances contained in ash produced from processing coal, listing

They have tried to resolve the issue over the years by digging up the resident’s yards and replacing it with uncontaminated soil. Instead, they put clay which doesn’t absorb water, which caused other issues. The damage has been done, no one was held responsible. The responsibility of the clean-up should have been put on the mining companies and at the cost of the mining companies. They forcibly came into the land, abused the land and the people in the area, then left. It will take decades for the land to ever recover from the damage they caused for a

Even though the mining of uranium can cause environmental pollution, the power plant itself does not actually produce pollution. Yes, there is also nuclear waste we have to take care of, but it is stored in Yucca Mountain.On the contrary, people may be afraid of the nuclear waste having an accident while transporting it to the mountain, but it hasn’t happened yet. This is why we should help keep TMI open.

Wyoming's economy includes 218 companies that operate internationally, competing in global markets on a daily basis for inputs, capital, and customers. These globally engaged U.S. companies serve as a critical engine for economic growth for the state. For instance, they directly contribute $5.5 billion to Wyoming's economy in

4. Customer B has higher overhead cost that actually thought, while customer A ended up with a lower overhead cost. This in return affected the net income.

Mines pose a threat to the environment. They can degrade soil and water quality if left untreated. The United States Environmental protection Agency (USEPA)'s Region 9 assessment of state data states that there are approximately 420,000 abandoned mines in the states of